Where have all the RTS games gone?
- Thread starter Rossiar
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I actually reinstalled Age of Empires: Gold (including the Rise of Rome expansion pack. Awww yeah) the other day. I forgot how good it is.
The only other RTS I really played were the Battle for Middle Earth series, which I played and played and played. The first one was just awesome, and I was so excited for the second one. Even though it was good, there was something lacking from it. I call this the "Super Smash Bros Brawl Syndrome". I don't know. Everything from the original was there, and more...but still it felt a bit..empty. Still, I spent a lot of hours on there. Then Rise of the Witch-King came out, which I was quite disappointed with. Most new heroes were just re-skinned units, and it just seemed a bit like a half-hearted attempt at a game. I rarely even used the eponymous Witch-King as he killed everyone around him; friend or foe.
Despite this I was a prominent member of a mainly RTS forum. That was fun.
The only other RTS I really played were the Battle for Middle Earth series, which I played and played and played. The first one was just awesome, and I was so excited for the second one. Even though it was good, there was something lacking from it. I call this the "Super Smash Bros Brawl Syndrome". I don't know. Everything from the original was there, and more...but still it felt a bit..empty. Still, I spent a lot of hours on there. Then Rise of the Witch-King came out, which I was quite disappointed with. Most new heroes were just re-skinned units, and it just seemed a bit like a half-hearted attempt at a game. I rarely even used the eponymous Witch-King as he killed everyone around him; friend or foe.
Despite this I was a prominent member of a mainly RTS forum. That was fun.
I think RTS is now facing a similar problem RPGs face, evolution. Games have changed in graphical prowess and play styles since the RTS heyday.
Its not to say theres not some good ones out that get lumped in the RTS category, even if its the shift between 4X vs turn based.
THe total war lines (Napoleon and empire within the last 2 years
Tiberium twilight
Halowars (always felt like a spiritual sucessor to the age of empires line to me)
Stardock studios is working on a new RTS title.. but they also put out the 4x Sins of a solar empire i think last year.
A couple of ww2 RTS have came out within the last 2 years, though i couldnt tell you their names
As i recall there was an alternate history RTS that came out sometime last year.
Civ 5 is just a couple months away
Starcraft 2 is just a couple days away.
So i think honestly, demand for RTS has diminished to some degree in this console generation, and I suspect its growing pains for the genra, while it tries to figure out what the next major innovation for the archtype will be, which we may not even see in this console generation.
Its not to say theres not some good ones out that get lumped in the RTS category, even if its the shift between 4X vs turn based.
THe total war lines (Napoleon and empire within the last 2 years
Tiberium twilight
Halowars (always felt like a spiritual sucessor to the age of empires line to me)
Stardock studios is working on a new RTS title.. but they also put out the 4x Sins of a solar empire i think last year.
A couple of ww2 RTS have came out within the last 2 years, though i couldnt tell you their names
As i recall there was an alternate history RTS that came out sometime last year.
Civ 5 is just a couple months away
Starcraft 2 is just a couple days away.
So i think honestly, demand for RTS has diminished to some degree in this console generation, and I suspect its growing pains for the genra, while it tries to figure out what the next major innovation for the archtype will be, which we may not even see in this console generation.
I have to agree with the OP since the great RTS games that I used to play a few years back are far superior to the new ones being released (with the possible exception of SC2). Games like AOE, Riseo of Nations, Emperor of Dune, and others don't have a real successor nowadays. However, Total War like games however (Which are not exactly RTS imo) have been evolving and they are better than ever.
while these have already been mentioned I'd like to throw my support behind Sins of a Solar Empire, its a magnificent game and very cheap and Dawn of War: Dark Crusade, i know its old but its the best RTS around IMO
I sincerly hope you are kidding sir, the pc game market does very well because of the ability to have a key board. Not to mention how are you going to get on the internet without a PC? Your Itouch? The PC is still very much alive and kicking.Daipire said:
First off thanks for everyone's comments. While not everyone had something constructive to say there were some gems such as "The Rumancer" (up the page) and a few agreements and some general love for those good old RTS games.
Checking out all of the suggestions like Archon, RUSE, Sins of a Solar Empire, Napoleon Total War & looking into Starcraft 2. Have been shown that perhaps RTS is not as dead as I thought.
As for being picky I guess the "ideal" RTS for me is one a lot like supreme commander; small rushing games such as Starcraft and C&C just don't appeal as much. I like scope to games and feeling that I have room to move if things go wrong.
Much love to the RTS classics I missed out (wasn't tying to include them all and I am still not) such as Company of Heroes (awesome), Rise of Nations (epic), Dawn of War Dark Crusade (excellent) and Rise of Legends (literally so fun).
Sorry to Pikmin which i HAVEN'T played but made assumptions about. :s
Thanks again. RTS LIVES!
Checking out all of the suggestions like Archon, RUSE, Sins of a Solar Empire, Napoleon Total War & looking into Starcraft 2. Have been shown that perhaps RTS is not as dead as I thought.
As for being picky I guess the "ideal" RTS for me is one a lot like supreme commander; small rushing games such as Starcraft and C&C just don't appeal as much. I like scope to games and feeling that I have room to move if things go wrong.
Much love to the RTS classics I missed out (wasn't tying to include them all and I am still not) such as Company of Heroes (awesome), Rise of Nations (epic), Dawn of War Dark Crusade (excellent) and Rise of Legends (literally so fun).
Sorry to Pikmin which i HAVEN'T played but made assumptions about. :s
Thanks again. RTS LIVES!
The starcraft rush tactic usually only works with the zerg, and it has many effective counters for it. now as for some good RTS games I would reccomend The Battle for Middle Earth series it has something about it that makes it feel like its an age of mythology remake or something like that.666Chaos said:
Sadly, that's just it. There can't be much more innovation except perhaps in giving the player more options to choose from. And that requires time, effort, and money that some companies are not willing to indulge in.Rossiar said:
It's the whole concept of: "If it ain't broken, don't fix it."
They see that people will still buy, play, and keep playing resource rushes like Starcraft because there's enough of a fan-base that they won't have to make things more complicated than they need to. Total War gets a good enough fan-base doing what they've done so far, and they still come out with some innovations now and then: sea battles, research charts, and a little more depth in the city-building all came out with one new game, Empires. Napoleon expanded on that, refining it all down until it shone.
Will there be a more complicated RTS, or perhaps one with a new outlook on strategy? ...who knows? There might be in the future, or we might just get the same stuff that we always play...and in this armchair general's opinion, still love. Total War: Shogun II is the one and only game I've been psyched over for the past year. It may not be anything more complex than Total War is now...but I'm definitely going to love every minute of it.
Hm...as a side-note, I would suggest you play one RTS: Kingdom Under Fire, for the X-Box. It's a really interesting title that I think you might like. I know I did. It's basically a strategy game where you command an army...but you're actually down there duking it out side-by-side with your troops. No, I'm not talking about the laughable 'strategy' elements of Dynasty Warriors or Samurai Warriors; this is really in-depth. Troop movement, troop formations, sending out scouts, setting fire to trees and landscape with fire-arrows, and so-on.